


Two Words Less

by Ice_Fox



Category: Mortal Engines Series - Philip Reeve
Genre: Alternative Scenario, Gen, London
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2019-10-05 15:42:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17327813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ice_Fox/pseuds/Ice_Fox
Summary: If only Tom had used two words less…Then his fate would have changed entirely. Then Valentine wouldn’t have pushed him. That one push caused so much more. And that one pushed was caused by those two little words: Hester Shaw!This is basically what might have happened if Tom hadn’t mentioned her name.





	1. First wrong made right

**Author's Note:**

> Writing that is in italics, bold and the centre is direct text from the book itself by Philip Reeve.

**_The girl lunged forward, shoving her awful noseless face towards him. “Look at me!” she said her voice all twisted by her twisted mouth. “Look what your brave, kind Valentine did to me!”_ **

**_”What do you mean?”_ **

**_”Ask him!” she screamed. “Ask him what he did to Hester Shaw!”_ **

**_The police were closer now; Tom could feel their footsteps drumming on the deck. The girl glanced past him, then heaved her wounded leg over the handrail, crying out at the pain. “No!” pleaded Tom again, but too late. Her ragged greatcoat snapped and fluttered and she was gone. He flung himself forward and peered down the shadowed chute. A cool blast of air came up at him, mingled with the smell of mud and crushed vegetation; the smell of speeding earth beneath the city._ **

**_”No!”_ **

**_She had jumped! She had jumped right out of the city to her death!_ Hester Shaw. _He would have to remember that name, and say a prayer for her to one of London’s many gods._**

**_Shapes loomed out of the drifting smoke. The policemen were advancing cautiously, like watchful crabs, and Valentine was with them, running ahead. In the shadows under a gas-tank Tom saw the young Engineer looking on, shocked. Tom tried to smile at him, but his face felt frozen, and the next moment another thick swag of smoke had folded over him, blotting out everything._ **

**_”Tom! Are you all right?” Valentine ran up, barely winded by the long chase. “Where is she? Where is the girl?”_ **

**_”Dead,” Tom said lamely._ **

**_Valentine stood beside him at the handrail and peered over. The shadows of the drifting smoke moved over his face like cobwebs. There was a strange light in his eyes, and his face was tight and white and frightened. “Did you see her, Tom? Did she have a scar?”_ **

**_”Yes,” said Tom, wondering how Valentine could know that. “It was horrible! Her eye was gone, and her nose...” Then he remembered the terrible thing the girl had told him. But he wasn’t sure if he should tell Mr Valentine what she had said -it was a lie, insane._** So he kept both the name and the lies about his hero, to himself.


	2. Katherine's Proposal

Valentine gently put an arm around Tom whilst telling him it would be alright. He guided Tom out through the smoke onto one of the walkways. As he passed, Valentine said to the policemen: "She's dead." They criss-crossed along the walkways and down the shafts, Tom still in a daze. The gut seemed a lot more complicated now the adrenaline of the chase wasn't coursing through him. Stumbling over his words, Tom spluttered "I tried, I honestly tried to get her. She just- I didn't really know what was happening- I called out to her but it was too late. She had jumped Mr Valentine, straight down the shoot. I couldn't stop her. I tried but..."

"I know Tom, I know. It's all over now though. Come." Finally, they had reached the place where Katherine still stood, a hand reassuringly on Dog's head and a worried expression on her face. As soon as she saw them, she rushed forward to give her father a hug, and, to Tom's surprise, also gave him a hug as well. "Oh, I'm so glad you're both still alive. What happened? And that dreadful girl! What happened to her?"

"All in good time Katherine. I'm just glad you're safe too. Right now I just need to sit down."

And so, Tom found himself sat once more in the head Historian's office with Valentine, Katherine and Dog. This was something he had always only dreamed of but the silence and his failure made him feel unwanted. This however was the opposite case. Valentine suddenly broke the silence with "You did well today, Tom. I'm proud of you. Thank you." This made Tom swell with pride. His greatest hero had just congratulated then thanked him! He couldn't believe it, especially because he had let her get away.

What came next was even more of a shock, to both Tom and Valentine. Katherine looked as if she had been building herself up and perfecting this in her head for a while. When it came out, she was surprised at how determined and decisive she sounded. "I want Tom to work at Clio House with me."

After a look from the others, she continued: "Often, when you are at work, I'm lonely up there and there's no one around that's my age. Also there's lots of artefacts we have that need cleaning. And I'm sure we could find somewhere for him to sleep. We don't have to pay him much, we can pay him in food and shelter. I would love some company. Father, you said yourself that he's a good worker. Please can he come up with us, even if just for today?"

All Tom could do was stare, open mouthed. Even the great Valentine seemed slightly taken aback. After a while, he replied, trying to gently tell Katherine.

"I don't know yet. It would take some thinking. I currently have some more important matters on my mind at the moment. I would also have to ask Mr Pomeroy. I'm sorry Kate, but I'm not sure if he can today."

"But if your busy, then I will be out of the way with Tom. And you're the Head Historian. Oh, please, Father!"

Valentine let out a long sigh. "You know Kate, I don't know what I would do without you. Life would be too easy: I would get everything my way. You definitely remind me of myself. We have to fight for what we want."

"But does that mean you'll let him come up with us?!?"

"We'll see. We'll see." 


	3. A Change to Normal Life

Tom walked out of the gut in a daze. Everything had happened in such a whirlwind of events. Just earlier today, he had been wishing he could have done anything but the gut work. Now he may be staying up at Cleo House and entertaining Katherine Valentine -the girl of Tom's dreams! The journey up seemed non-existent whilst the familiar walls of the museum seemed so foreign and poor compared to his visions of Cleo House. Katherine's beauty swam in the turmoil of his brain. 

The other boys in his dorm would be so jealous. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Melliphant‘s face when he found out!  _But Valentine hadn’t confirmed it, had he. He said he would see,_ an annoying voice nagged him. But Tom quickly shoved it aside. Katherine would persuade Valentine and once Valentine agreed, he would be up in Cleo House before his fellow third-class apprentices even realised what had happened. Tom had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he promptly walked into Pomeroy. And worst of all, an angry Pomeroy who looked ready to explode.

”Natsworthy! Where have you been? You were meant to return here  _straight_ after gut duty and dust the cabinets with the seedies! You had better explain yourself before you have a full day of gut work tomorrow!” he blustered.

”I think I can do sufficient explaining for, Apprentice Natsworthy,” said a calm voice behind Tom. Turning quickly, he saw Valentine magnificently framed in the doorway of the museum. After turning back, he saw Pomeroy looking both flustered and annoyed that his prey had got away.

”You see, Tom was down in the gut, helping me but an unfortunate event occurred. Of course it’s all taken care of now, but I’m sure you can understand why young Tom here, may be a little late coming up. Now I believe no punishments need to be administered and life can go on the same as it did without that little incident”

Tom’s heart sank. He had imagined the powerful figure of Valentine and the beautiful Katherine would come sweeping down to the poor accommodation of the apprentices and grandly offer Tom’s company up to his new place of residence: Cleo House. But no, all Valentine had done was come down and excuse Tom from being late and sentence him to life as an apprentice.

”However, whilst we’re on the subject of Tom and no changes,” he continued, “I believe I must have overlooked one major change. If we may, I would like to talk to you, Chudleigh, about the temporary trial of Apprentice Natsworthy as a worker in my own home.”

”Of-of course, Val-Valentine. Right this way...” 


End file.
